PWHL Boston advances to first-ever Walter Cup Final with sweep of Montreal

BOSTON -- PWHL Boston closed out their playoff series against Montreal with yet another overtime victory on Tuesday night, completing a semifinals sweep and punching their ticket to the first-ever Walter Cup Final.

Boston treated their home fans at Tsongas Arena in Lowell with a dramatic overtime victory, overcoming a 2-0 deficit with three unanswered goals over the final 15 minutes of the game to win it, 3-2. After the first two games of the series, it was only fitting that Boston's clincher required some extra hockey.

Trailing 2-0 in the third, Sophie Shirley got Boston on the board with a goal at the 7:06 mark of the period. Amanda Pelkey scored the first shorthanded goal in PWHL playoff history with 3:43 remaining to tie the game at 2-2.  

Susanna Tapani won it for Boston just over a minute into the extra frame, putting home a rebound for her second OT winner of the series. Tapani, whom Boston acquired from Minnesota in February, also won Game 1 for Boston last week in Montreal when she scored the PWHL's first overtime goal in playoff history.

Game 2 of the series required three overtime periods before Boston's Taylor Wenczkowski ended it after 111 minutes of hockey, which is the longest game in PWHL history. Five of the seven games between Boston and Montreal in the PWHL's inaugural season went to overtime.

Aerin Frankel was once again stellar in net for Boston, making 32 saves on Tuesday night. She made 141 saves over the three-game series.

Boston has now won five straight games, and will face the winner of the winner of the Minnesota-Toronto semifinals for the first-ever PWHL title. Toronto currently leads their series, 2-1, with Game 4 Wednesday night in Minnesota.